Sideswipe: December 11: Buy for $30, protect for $200

For sale in the Williams-Sonoma catalogue: Grow Mushroom Log ($29) and glass cloche ($189) that protects mushrooms as they grow.

Christmas party memorable for all the wrong reasons
"I was enjoying my staff Christmas party, but decided to leave around 9.30, before things got out of hand," writes a reader from Hamilton. "It was already getting a bit raucous for a lady in her mid-fifties. I'd won the raffle so was quite happy. It was a food prize and included a ham, fine chocolates and other Christmassy treats. So I said my goodbyes and went over to the coat check to get my prize of goodies, only to find the ham missing and the chocolates eaten. I was really annoyed and grumped off to the carpark, where I had to negotiate a significant pool of vomit at the driver's door."

"My

fiancee scanned this from an Australian newspaper." (Via @jamie_gaskins on Twitter)

Over-the-top foodie catalogue offers consumer bliss
In the US there is a fancy-schmancy Christmas foodie catalogue, which has all manner of over-the-top food gadgets and luxury items. Deadspin writer Drew Magary describes it as being full of "endless kitchen countertops, and meticulously arranged buffet spreads with pre-made bundt cakes ... that have been drizzled just so with triple-butterscotch icing." He continues: "There are fancy chocolates enrobed in other fancy chocolates. There are WHIMSICAL TINS (yes, the copy actually says that) ... There are dustings and sprinklings and twee little bows, all perfectly arranged for your perfect little evening of perfect holiday entertaining with your perfect neighbour guests and your perfect children standing by the table in their john-johns and singing gaily to you all as you pipe fresh, warm cognac into each other's butts."

Stop/go man sharing the love
Christmas Spirit on SH16 road works. Janice writes: "You sit in the long queue waiting to be given the order to 'go' then when you reach the 'stop/go' guy there he is waving, smiling, giving the thumbs up, jumping around - and you forget how long you have been waiting and drive away with a smile. How awesome is that?"

Anyone else noticed this impressive asparagus growing in Waterview?

Picture this: Illustrator John Holcroft satirises modern political, economic, and social issues using a retro ad style...

Video: Abandoned 29 years ago, a black baby girl is adopted by adorable Pennsylvania Dutch woman. This is them hanging out and it's pretty darn charming...

Local: Tracey Shaw from Power Garden Tools. "A colleague and I came up with an idea to tackle the overgrown berms in Central Auckland. The Berm Project a win/win - our team gets to use the tools in a real life environment and at the same time we're sprucing up Auckland, one berm at time! We went out last Friday and recorded our efforts
I'm hoping you could help us get a few requests or suggestions of berms that need tidying? Send your request here Ryobibermproject@tti.co.nz.

Video: You probably know about Kiss Cam at big sporting events in the US, but have you heard of Awkward Dad Dance Cam?

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Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz